This page was formerly known as "Additional Packages" and "Ease of Use". If you have been directed to one of those pages, this is the correct page.

What?

Adding certain packages to Masonux can make it behave much more like Ubuntu's default graphical environment, if you would like to add them. As many of these easy-to-use tools have long lists of dependencies, you may find yourself quickly using up hard drive space.

This page contains a selection of them. To install a package, you can either find it in synaptic, or type "sudo apt-get install package-name-here" in a terminal. If there is something you think should be added to this list, please let me know.

Your Local Language

Well, if you are reading this then you can obviously read American English, but you may prefer something else on your own computer. Install this package, then go to menu -> System Tools -> Language Support. When you launch it for the first time, it will notify you that language-selector is not 'completely installed' and ask you to install additional packages. You don't need to if you don't want to.
Bloat warning: When you add a language, I suggest you just add the "Basic Translation" component at first, and then add more later if you wish. If you select all the check boxes, don't be surprised if the app installs 200 MB worth of Open Office stuff, for example.
package name: language-selector

Enable Support for Popular Multimedia Formats

This package will enable support for flash, mp3, etc. More details can be found here.
package name: ubuntu-restricted-extras

The above package will not include support for commercial DVDs. See this page for information about that.

Ubuntu's Add/Remove Applications

Ubuntu's "Hardware Drivers"

This app will detect, locate, and install non-free hardware drivers to get your video card and wireless card up and running.
package name: jockey-gtk

Ubuntu's "USB Startup Disk Creator"

The following package will install the utility used by Ubuntu to create bootable thumb drives:
package name: usb-creator

Simple Calculator

Ubuntu's default basic calculator:
package name: gcalctool

Double Click to Install .deb Files

After you install this package, you will be able to double click on .deb files to install them, just like vanilla Ubuntu.
package name: gdebi

Ubuntu's Default Top Panel

You will need to change stuff around a bit to make it work nicely with the default LXDE panel, and to get it to start automatically. A more detailed guide can be found here. Bloat warning: this pulls a lot of dependencies with it.
package name: gnome-panel

Install Full-blown Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu/etc

The following package will install the full default Ubuntu GNOME desktop enviornment:
package name: ubuntu-desktop
For Kubuntu with KDE:
package name: kubuntu-desktop
For Xubuntu with xfce4:
package name: xubuntu-desktop

Look around at the Psychocats web page for more information about moving between Desktop Enviornments in Ubuntu without needing to reinstall the entire system.

Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

If you are not using compiz and wish to modify the default LXDE keyboard shortcuts, you will need to manually edit some config files. It isn't as hard as it sounds! Please glance at the first two of the following web pages, and read the third one in detail: LXDE Wiki, Gentoo LXDE Wiki, Openbox Wiki.Keep in mind that you will be working with ~/.config/openbox/lxde-rc.xml and not~/.config/openbox/rc.xml.

Netbook Specific

Automatically Maximize Windows

This package, included in Ubuntu Netbook Remix, will make new programs and windows open up maximized by default.
package name: maximus

Tabbed Program Launcher

This package will make your desktop look like the screenshot below.
package name: lxlauncher
directions to make it automatically start: run sudo leafpad /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE/autostart and add @lxlauncher to the end of the file. Save it and log out for changes to take effect.